The Crucial Role of Data Cleaning in Machine Learning

Introduction

Nowadays, we are in a world where data-driven decision-making is in trend. Machine learning has emerged as a powerful tool for prediction and extracting information from data sets . It is well known that every machine learning model needs to be trained on a data set and for training that data set must be errorless, properly formatted and complete, people generally unnoticed this process which is known as Data Cleaning.

What is Data Cleaning?

In simple words, Data Cleaning is the process of identifying and removing any missing, duplicate, or irrelevant data from the dataset. Data Cleaning is one of the critical steps in machine learning because it’s difficult to correct or delete inaccurate, damaged, improperly formatted, duplicated, or insufficient data from a dataset.

The main aim of this process is that data must be accurate, errorless and consistent because it can have a bad impact on the machine learning model.

What are the data issues?

In general, a dataset can have many issues, but commonly, we find some, which are as follows.

1. Missing Values: The blank space in the column and incomplete dataset because of any reason are treated as missing values. It can skew statistical measures and lead to biased results.
2. Outliers: A data point that deviates significantly from the other dataset because of natural variation or any type of measurement error. It can distort statistical errors and inaccurate predictions.
3. Inconsistencies: It is variations in format, unit or codes that can arise due to human error or merging data from different dataset. They lead to misinterpretations and errors in analysis.
4. Duplicate Values: The reputation of those values that need to be identical is treated here as duplicate values.

Noise

The random variations or errors in the data that are unrelated to the underlying phenomenon being studied are known as Noise. Noise can arise from measurement errors, sampling variability, or irrelevant factors included in the dataset.

The Foundation of Reliable Models

Data Cleaning is the foundation of Machine Learning Models because the accuracy of prediction and decision-making depends on the quality of data used while training the models.

E.g: Imagine building a house on a shaky foundation – no matter how beautiful or well-designed the structure may be, it is bound to collapse under pressure. Similarly, if a model gets trained on a low-quality dataset, the model will not be able to predict accurately.

It serves as the cornerstone of building reliable machine-learning models by ensuring that the input data is accurate, consistent, and representative of the real-world phenomenon being modeled. It mitigates the risk of erroneous conclusions and enhances the credibility of insights derived from the data.

Why is Data Cleaning important for ML Models?

The process of data cleaning is very important for ML Models because it not only enhances the quality of the input data but also improves the performance and generalization capabilities of machine learning models. By eliminating noise and irrelevant information, data cleaning enables models to focus on meaningful patterns and relationships within the data.

Data cleaning plays a pivotal role in mitigating bias in machine learning models, thereby promoting fairness and equity. Biased datasets, resulting from systematic errors or under-representation of certain demographic groups, can perpetuate discrimination and exacerbate social inequalities. By meticulously examining and rectifying biases in the data, data cleaning helps ensure that machine learning models are fair and unbiased in their predictions and recommendations.

E.g: Let's take an example to understand why data cleaning is important.

Here your task is to check the data set for training an AI model on this

1. Missing Values: If we analyze the whole table, then we will find that the first row of the price column is blank, which is known as a missing value. Because of this, the machine will not be able to predict the price of a house having 1 Room, 600 sq ft Area, GZB Location, and Registration number 2397, or the machine will not give an accurate prediction.
2. Outliers: In the third row of the price column, the value is 35000000000, which is much higher than the other price values that make the prediction difficult for the model.
3. Inconsistency: In the second row of the first column, we have an alphabetic symbol, ‘A’, where all others are in numeric. Similarly, the third row of the second column has a 2 KM value, where all other values are in sq ft. Because of this, the model will face problems while learning.
4. Duplicate Values: In the first and third row of registration No. column has the same values where it needs to be unique this will confuse the model.
5. Noise: In the dataset, we can treat the Registration No. column as a noise because we don't require a registration no for price prediction.

Conclusion

Data cleaning is a critical step in the machine learning process, ensuring that datasets are accurate, error-free, and consistent. By addressing issues such as missing values, outliers, inconsistencies, duplicates, and noise, data cleaning enhances the quality of input data and improves the performance and fairness of machine learning models. Emphasizing the importance of data cleaning is essential for unlocking the full potential of data-driven decision-making and fostering equitable outcomes in the field of machine learning.